Tuesday, January 29, 2008

We have had about a foot of snow in the last few days. Unfortunately, I am out a camera so I got this picture from http://www.katu.com/younews/14469662.html The snow is much deeper than this picture shows.

Any tips from readers on a good digital camera for plant and nature pictures would be truly appreciated!

A perfect time to be "snowed in". The entire family picked up a nasty stomach virus, starting with Ella, Tony and then myself. So we have been sick, but enjoying the scenic views of the beautiful snow from inside. Starting to feel much better today, my appetite is slowly returning. Homemade chicken soup is on the menu.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Often in the US people view emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety and other mood swings as weaknesses. I now view this time of changing emotions during pregnancy as a gift. In my first pregnancy with Ella I was hit with these emotional ups and downs, it took me a while to really recognize the meaning of it all. At first I felt guilty for "acting like a crazy hormonal b#%*#" and really found myself apologizing to others for my "bad" behavior. Things from my childhood raised their ugly head, things I had forgotten- buried emotions burst to the surface and some days I would just cry. This happened only a few times before I realized, hey I need to listen to the message here! In the process of my pregnancy new boundaries were set with family members and friends that should have been done long before the pregnancy. People in my life that I "tolerated" before all of a sudden it was not a priority to have them a part of our lives. Like everyone else I have friends, family and acquaintances that have major problems, however they do not cross the line and bring it into our home and I do not become a part of it. I realized that everything that has happened to me throughout my childhood was a lesson~ I could do things differently as a mother. There was a time of deep sadness where I wondered how some of the things that happened to me as a child and a young woman could have happened, then I realized they did the best they could with the knowledge they had. I realized that I had learned from those experiences & I could do better! I learned to listen to my body even better than I had before. My empathy for others was increased when I felt the miracle of motherhood. All of this was such a gift, learning to view these subtle changes in my own emotions made me be a better mother and wife after Ella was born. Learning to be more in touch with my own emotions helped me to recognize subtle changes in Ella's emotions as an infant. This helped my marriage as well, 'nipping things in the bud' early on and talking about them helped to take care of frustrations before they got too out of hand resulting in an angry screaming blow out.Now I am in the 14th week of my second pregnancy. I rest when I want to. I took a break from work & studies & I returns calls when I feel like it. Others think this is highly unusual for me, usually I tend to go full speed toward any goal, work, or project, ignore burnout and keep going, but hey- for once I am taking my own advise and listening to my body. I ask for help when I need it and take warm baths. The swinging emotions are back but not quite as strong because a lot of the BS from the past that needed to be resolved was dealt with during the last pregnancy. When problems do arise I deal with them to the best of my ability, however I have no problem with drawing the line. I have been taking time to really reflect, listen to my body and my baby, learn from the beautiful lessons of motherhood. New fears have came up with this pregnancy such as will I be a good mother of 2? How will Ella react? I have been journaling about this and really trying to reflect for the answers, and part of me knows that the answers will come as time passes and I will do just fine. Instead of feeling guilty about the intense feelings I have been experiencing, I let myself experience them, learn what I can and move on. I realize that not everyone is going to be in my "mode" and they may judge- I say let them think what they want, change is never comfortable for most people.I also try to listen to my body in other ways as well and realize some of the symptoms I have may be due to lack of rest, diet deficiencies or food sensitivities. I have also been experiencing herbs in a new way with new symptoms & experiences in this second pregnancy. I am learning so much in this entire process and I feel so blessed!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Anyone receive fruit baskets for Christmas? Lots of fruit left and I don't always feel like eating it cold in these winter months~ Here are some great warm recipes!Cinnamon FruitCinnamon is warming and a mild digestive. Rebecca has written a great post on cinnamon check it out over at The Herbwife's kitchenUse pears & apples about 3 of eachBrew some cinnamon teause a bay leaf if desired and a pinch of sea saltIn a pan combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, uncovered, until the tea has reduced by half and the fruit is tender, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp~ You can serve over hot cereal or top over yogurt - fruit keeps in fridge for about 5 days- make it ahead and it can be ready for breakfast!

In a frying pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover loosely, and poach until tender, about 20 minutes. Let the pear halves relax in the juice for about 10 minutes before serving warm.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Since many people will no doubt make new years resolutions to eat a healthier diet, I thought that the glycemic index was worth a mentioning here. The Glycemic index is a system that ranks foods based on how they effect your blood sugar levels. Below 55 is considered low, between 56 and 69 moderate, & above 70 will cause high spikes in blood sugar levels.For detailed information on how insulin levels can effect your health Henriette has some great posts and discussions on herb blog here here, here & here. jim mcdonald also has some great articles that will keep you busy for a while in his article index scroll down to metabolism, endocrine, immune & digestive.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/ states:Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight

Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin

Low GI carbs improve diabetes control

Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease

Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels

Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS

Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer

Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance

High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Some foods have an extremely high glycemic index (some of these in that past have been considered "diet" foods) some examples areRice Cakes 92Baked Potato 85Parsnips 97Rice Pasta Brown 92Pretzels 81Green Pea soup 66Watermelon 72Dates 103Baguette 95Orange juice 52

Plant Wisdom

Do you think it possible to dissect a human being, render it down into constituent parts, feed them into a machine which measures such things and determine from that its ability to paint or create music? No? Then why do you think that once you have done this with my body you know everything about me? _ Angelica
From Sacred Plant Medicine

About Me

I am a mom of 2 amazing kids Ella & Wyatt. I am a self taught herbalist (constantly learning & growing) with a Master Herbalist diploma from ACHS. I love herbalism because I feel there is always something new to learn from the plants. I teach basic herbal online courses at universalclass.com, I also take others on herb walks near the Sandy River & Mt Hood in Oregon. I am a Licensed Massage Therapist. I love the spending time outdoors with family , hiking, wildcrafting and camping. I also have a certificate in holistic nutrition from ACHS. I have experience as a wellness director,nutrition consultant, personal trainer & aerobics instructor, although I no longer work in this area. The past few years I have developed an interest in Sacred Plant Medicine and the practices of indigenous herbalism.